Archive for the 'Charlie Daniels Band' Tag Under 'Soundcheck' Category

Even by country standards, which tend to elevate every newcomer to the level of instant superstar, Zac Brown Band's rapid ascent from little-known Southern fusionists to nationwide sensation has been astounding. Was it really just two years ago that this six-man gang first seized Southern California attention in the scorching early-afternoon sun at Stagecoach?

Since then, their major-label debut The Foundation (actually their third album) has sold more than 2.5 million copies, last September's You Get What You Give is about to go platinum, and the group has already scored two Grammys. In the past year alone they've gone from selling out Gibson Amphitheatre (at 6,000 or so) to filling up Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (roughly 15,000) to now thrilling an ecstatic, up-and-dancing capacity crowd Saturday night at their even larger Hollywood Bowl debut.

“That is a wall full of beautiful people out there,” Brown pointed out after the good-time choruses of “Toes” two songs in, clearly awestruck by the sight. Later, he added: “I'll always remember being here and playing this show tonight, right here with all of you.” You certainly get the sense that, nearly a decade down the line since forming in Georgia, Brown and his expert crew are taking none of their sudden success for granted.

Yet it also doesn't take a chart-watching musicologist to figure out why ZBB has resonated so tremendously with audiences. At its core the band amalgamates three of the most popular streams of American music from the past quarter-century: modern Nashville country-pop, Jimmy Buffett's endless-summer sound and the dynamic jamming of Dave Matthews Band. Why wouldn't such a formula sell like mad?

Granted, had the group merely stuck to one of those approaches, it might still have had enough appeal to pack arenas. Instead, the mostly bearded Zac Brown Band is melding and unifying demographics like no outfit before it. Straight-up K-FROG fans who might otherwise have zero patience for lengthy instrumental noodling come away stunned by lightning-fast picking and sterling chops, while jam-heads who would never be caught dead in Western wear flock to see these cats stretch out, then find themselves singing along to anthems as catchy as any sunshine Kenny Chesney is spreading.

Having scored a handful of Top 5 singles following the release of 2008's double-platinum major-label debut The Foundation, the Atlanta troupe went on to be named best new artist at the Grammy Awards in January, an unusual honor for a country act. The group's latest disc, You Get What You Give, arrived last week, to be promoted via appearances today on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Wednesday on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. But of greater importance to O.C. fans was the band's headlining concert Sunday at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, where the sextet performed for more than two rousing hours before a near-capacity crowd on an especially hot night.

Brown's best-known songs, of course, are all those singles: "Chicken Fried," "Toes" "Free," "Highway 20 Ride," "Whatever It Is." Yet his arsenal of original material and creative remakes extended across his long set. Add to that his band's firepower and the generous spirit of featuring other artists in the mix, and it's no wonder ZBB is already playing large venues like this one.

It also makes perfect sense that Zac Brown Band has shared the stage with forebear Dave Matthews Band, as it has the same ability to unleash impressive jams stretching across a number of styles; it's easy and not entirely inaccurate to tag Brown & Co. as a countrified version of DMB. But ZBB's songs are firmly rooted in country music, the material frequently infused with Kentucky bluegrass, traditional blues, even reggae.

Brown is armed with a wonderful voice and impressive skills on both acoustic and electric guitar, but the incredible players around him are what cement the deal live; he clearly has assembled one of modern music's best musical teams. In Irvine ZBB effortlessly delivered powerful roadhouse country rockers ("I Play the Road," a blazing cover of Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia") along with Jimmy Buffett-esque Caribbean tunes ("Knee Deep," "Toes"), a dose of R&B (his own "Free" and Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" blended marvelously) and confessional country ballads (the new "As She's Walking Away," "Highway 20 Ride"). All of them are done with such finesse, it's as if each genre is their strong suit.

March 4th, 2010, 5:59 pm by KELLI SKYE FADROSKI, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Gretchen Wilson has always been tough. She's raw, not afraid to get dirt under her nails -- and she's never been one to shy away from a fight.

She broke into mainstream country music six years ago with her Grammy-winning single “Redneck Woman,” off her multiplatinum debut Here for the Party. She followed that up the next year with another platinum disc, All Jacked Up, riding waves of fame and success with big productions around the world while suddenly requiring a 30-plus member staff to function.

But the tide shifted in 2007, when she put out One of the Boys. It barely went gold, tanking in comparison to her previous efforts.

During a recent phone interview, Wilson recalled feeling like she had lost herself with that album -- but she was bound by her contract with Columbia Records. With the disc failing, Wilson was forced to take key players off of the payroll. Things grew even worse in 2008 when she (along with co-songwriters John Rich and Vicky McGehee) was sued by Chris and Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes over the track “Work Hard, Play Harder”; the Robinsons alleged the song ripped off the verse melody from their hit “Jealous Again.”

Kicked while already down, Wilson was suddenly losing everything she had worked so hard to achieve.

A note about our coverage: We thought the Associated Press would be shooting the main attractions out here in Indio. Not so. We've taken dozens and dozens of pics ourselves -- like those you see sprinkled throughout this post, of party people, bikini chicks and buff dudes. Click here to see plenty more. But we didn't shoot artists. Hopefully that will change for Sunday.

Anyway ...

So I haven't a clue about an exact attendance figure. Brad Paisley's determination, in one of his gosh-there's-a-lot-of-you asides, was 40,000. But I'd bet it was closer to 50,000, maybe even a little more.

I can tell you this much: Fest organizer Goldenvoice is saying Coachella drew 150,000 people across three days last weekend, right? (I don't believe it either, but just go with it.) Well, Saturday night it felt like just as many beer-guzzling country-crazy clones all descended upon the Empire Polo Field in Indio at once.

And what happened? Last weekend temps eventually rose into triple digits ... while today should shouldn't get much warmer than 80 degrees ... maybe five more than that tomorrow.

Beeeeeyoooootiful weather for a fest in which the overwhelming majority of attendees will stake out a spot early at the Mane Stage, then party it up till midnight, scarcely able to recall what Brad Paisley played.